1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to insulation products, and more specifically to an insulation product particularly suited for use in conjunction with a garage door.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A garage for a vehicle includes a garage door for entrance and exit of the vehicle. The garage door is a large rectangular door which usually includes an upper panel, a lower panel, and two center panels. The panels are connected to one another by hinges. A typical panel includes a frame along its upper and lower edges. The panel further includes a door tray inside the frame which defines a major surface. The door tray is recessed from the frame and it is generally flat, with the exception that a contour is formed in the door tray. The contour forms raised areas in the door tray. The garage door can be opened by sliding it upward on a pair of rails extending along the opening and ceiling of the garage.
A garage door is often provided with insulating material to provide thermal insulation and to attempt to dampen the sound. One type of conventional insulation for garage doors is plastic foam (polyethyelene or polystyrene) insulation. The insulation is secured to the interior of each door panel. The surface of a door panel is often contoured to produce an attractive design. Unfortunately, the plastic foam insulation is formed in relatively rigid sheets that are not adapted for the contours of a door panel.
One way to address this problem is to mold the plastic foam insulation to include recesses adapted to receive the contours of the door panel. Unfortunately, the molding process adds an extra step to the manufacture of the insulation so that it is more expensive to produce.
Other insulation systems for garage doors include a fibrous or other insulation material with a facing on one or both sides of the insulation layer. Installing the insulation includes friction fitting the edges of the insulation into the contours of the door trays of the garage door frame. If the insulation is not adhered to the garage door by means of an adhesive, the insulation is prone to falling out of the door or sagging.
Another insulation system includes an insulation having a facing including an adhesive on a substantial portion of the side of the insulation that is adjacent to the garage door. However, affixing the insulation to the door by means of an adhesive has proven to be very difficult and time consuming. It is difficult to control where the insulation will affix to the door and may not be removed or reinstalled easily if there is an error as to the placement of the insulation on the door.
Another alternative to adhering the insulation to the door includes taping the insulation to the edges of the door. However, over time, the tape becomes loose and the insulation is prone to falling off of the door.
In the past, there have been several garage door insulating “kits” in the market place. The majority of these kits—are made up of large pieces of foam board panels, which are bulky. Additionally, foam board panels have proven to be extremely difficult to install because of their rigidity. Further, they are extremely difficult to fit in a store display and to transport in an automobile.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a garage door insulation system which overcomes the shortcomings of the conventional insulated garage door and provides a simple, convenient solution to consumers in the marketplace.